


A Game of Chess

by idancewiththefairies



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: how peter came to betray his friends, i know i'm really writing the crowd pleasers here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28284828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idancewiththefairies/pseuds/idancewiththefairies
Summary: A character study of Peter, and his path to beytral
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	A Game of Chess

Peter had always been very good at chess. In fact, he was so good at chess that by the time they were in third year, no one in the Gryffindor tower was willing to play against him, although a few Ravenclaws could still be persuaded for love of a challenge.

The key to his success, or perhaps the skill came as a result of it, was that Peter was always thinking ten steps ahead. A rare quality in a Gryffindor, certainly compared to the spontaneous and at times reckless behaviour of some of his dormmates.

James was the source of a brilliant idea, Remus was the careful researcher, Sirius was the precise and delicate caster, and Peter was the strategist. They worked well as a team and carried this neat operation from childhood pranks to wartime missions.

But as usual, Peter was always thinking ten steps ahead. Which meant he recognised before anyone else that the war was a lost cause. And in the face of this sure knowledge, he did not have the steadfast optimism and morality of James, nor the hopeless dedication of Remus, nor the familial vindication of Sirius. He had little to lose and little to gain, and he was tired of watching people die; pawns carelessly thrown away with no hope of turning the tide. The outcome was clear.

And he felt a genuine sadness when the names of the dead and the missing were read out at the end of each Order meeting. He shared in the sorrow of his friends at the memorials and funerals; Dorcas Meadows, the Prewett twins, the McKinnon family. But they had been dying anyway. At least now the war would be over sooner, and the deaths would stop. Sacrifice a few now for longer term gain. Besides, once you worked for the Dark Lord there was no going back. The fear left no room for guilt. No question of betrayal. He made sure of that.

By the time James and Lily went into hiding it was too late. He could hardly refuse to be their secret keeper. And it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. The Potters had quickly become the Dark Lord’s single-minded focus. To be the one to hand them to him on a silver platter was to secure himself prestige and safety after the war. Betray James or betray the Dark Lord. Well, there was a reason he must not be named.

And then it all went wrong, his perfectly planned ending disappeared with one final act of sacrifice. And really wasn’t that just so ironic. A game forfeited. So be it.

But Peter was always thinking ten steps ahead – a rare quality in a Gryffindor, especially compared to the reckless, impassioned behaviour of his old dormmate. And Sirius just made it so _easy_. The fool. He had never had the patience for chess.


End file.
